


Visiting The Oracles

by shadowglove88



Series: Champions Series [2]
Category: Angel: the Series, Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: Angel and Chloe are friends because Wesley and Lois are annoying, Chloe and the gang go to LA, Clark is powerless, F/M, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Oracles, Sam and Chloe are having issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 07:49:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15859353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowglove88/pseuds/shadowglove88
Summary: When Clark trades his powers for Lana's life, Chloe is the only one left with powers, which makes their vigilante work harder, and on top of everything she's having problems with Sam.Now Lois, Clark and Chloe must travel to L.A. to FINALLY meet Wesley and go visit the Oracles.





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe winced; hand on her stomach, still imagining the gash that'd been there hours ago, her insides falling out rather unattractively. This had been her seventh death in two weeks, a record for the soon-to-be seventeen-year-old.

"This is all  _my_  fault," Clark sighed dejectedly as he sat near the sofa Chloe was laying down on. His shoulders were slumped, his head bowed in shame.

Lois was silent, lips a firm line, pressing a cold, damp rag against Chloe's burning forehead. Whenever Chloe's body healed she went into a roasting fever that sometimes sent her into violent hallucinations so the best thing to do was to keep her temperature down.

"It's not your fault." Chloe's voice was hoarse and painful as she winced, her body still in agony. The gash in her skin might have healed back, but her insides were a mess and taking longer to heal than usual.

"If I'd been there, I could have-."

"Gotten yourself  _killed!_ " Lois snapped, closing her eyes immediately and taking in a deep breath. "How many times are you going to get it through your  _thick skull_ , Smallville, that you gave up your powers? That's you're as useless to Chloe on the battlefield as  _I_  am?"

Clark winced, looking conflicted as he lowered his guilty gaze.

" _Lois_." Chloe closed her eyes, still very weak.

"No, Chloe, it's the truth." Lois took the rag from Chloe's forehead, dumped it into the bowl with ice water, squeezed the excess water out of it and returned it to Chloe's burning forehead. "Don't get me wrong-I get  _why_  Clark did it-he wanted to save Lana's life and the demon he made a deal with would only bring Lana back to life if Clark gave him all of his powers." She closed her eyes tighter, obviously trying to fight her anger. "The fact is Clark chose Lana over his powers, and now  _you're the_  one who's suffering."

" _Lois_ , that's  _enough_." Chloe forced her tired eyes open and glared at her cousin. "I would have done the same thing if  _Sam_  had died."

"I know," Lois whispered with a sigh, hanging her head. "I-it's just getting  _too much_ , Chloe. You've been dying  _too frequently_  and you're taking longer to come back to life-to  _heal_ , don't think Clark and I don't notice that. You're wearing your body and powers thin, and I'm worried sick that one day you just won't wake up again!"

Chloe winced, looking away. She'd hoped that they hadn't noticed it, that they hadn't begun to fear the same thing she had.

"Thank  _God_  that was the last  _Zoner_  to take care of," Lois continued. "But what about the Metahumans or demons or something else? You can't fight them all by yourself while Clark and I try to help you on the sidelines. You  _need_  someone to help fight with you." She threw the rag into the bowl angrily and stood up. "Even if  _I_  could somehow get a power I'd help-even if the thought of fighting demons kinda frightens me-but you dying frightens me more!"

"Lois." Chloe reached forwards and curled her hand weakly around Lois' wrist, bringing her back down to the sofa. "I'm going to be  _fine_ , okay? I mean, you said it yourself, that was the last Zoner, and we've been dealing with metas from the time we were thirteen-."

"But you've never fought them  _alone_." Lois whimpered, close to tears, griping Chloe's hand tightly. "Chloe, I'm  _scared_."

Clark wiped at his eyes suspiciously before dropping to his knees in front of Chloe and bringing his arms around her and Lois, bringing them into a hug. " _I'm sorry_." His voice was choked and betrayed the fact that he was crying. "I-I just couldn't see a life possible for me without her, I-."

"Don't apologize, Clark." Chloe smiled bravely at her alien-now  _human_ -friend. "You did what your heart told you to. Making a deal with a demon mightn't have been the  _ideal_  choice, but you made it to save the life of the person you love the most in this world, and Lois and I will  _always_  support you and your decisions."

"No matter  _how_  much they suck." Lois chuckled hoarsely, grinning softly when Clark smiled thankfully at her and hugged the girls again, eliciting a little groan from Chloe, who still wasn't healed within.

"Sorry," Clark whispered sheepishly before pulling was and wiping at his eyes again as he sat down. He grabbed the rag from where Lois had thrown it in the bowl of ice water and after squeezing the excess water out of it, began to pass it over Chloe's arms.

"How  _is_  Lana?" Chloe asked, wincing as she remembered the demon they'd been fighting at the time launching a surprise attack on them the moment Lana stormed Clark's loft due to his having forgotten about their date— _again_. She'd demanded that he tell her  _immediately_  what was going on and if he didn't love her anymore-if he was seeing someone  _else_  behind her back.

Clark had been horrified, back into the wall, and yet he  _still_  would not tell her about his abilities. Lois, having had enough of the drama, had stepped forwards to tell Lana  _herself_  when the demon had appeared and  _eviscerated_  Lana right in front of their very eyes.

They'd been helpless to stop it, and Chloe and Lois had had to watch Clark go nearly insane with guilt and grief. He'd been desperate, and to be truthful neither Chloe nor Lois had been  _too_  surprised when Clark came to them a week later informing them that he'd made a deal with the demon to bring Lana back in exchange for his powers.

"She-she still won't see me," Clark admitted, eyes cast low, sadness in his every muscle.

"Stupid girl," Lois muttered angrily. "You gave up your powers for her and she locks herself in her room?"

"You can't really blame her, Lo." Chloe tried to put herself in Lana's shoes. "She was  _killed by a demon_ , and she  _remembers_ it. That's  _got_  to leave a girl traumatized."

"You get killed all the time and you don't see  _you_  throwing hysterics about it." Lois sniffed, not convinced by the reasoning.

Chloe laughed, even though it hurt her insides to do so. "I think there's a little difference between me and Lana."

"Yeah, there is." Lois then slugged Clark's shoulder. "Why couldn't you have fallen in love with Chloe? It would have made our lives  _so_  much easier!"

Clark grinned. "But then I would have gotten my heart broken when she met Sam."

Chloe's smile disappeared from her face.

Lois sighed, slugging Clark again. "See what you did, Smallville? You said the  _'S'_  word."

"But  _she_  did it first!" Clark pointed, eyes wide.

"Defending  _you_ , a  _totally_  different situation." Lois glared at him before turning to Chloe sympathetically. "Honey, don't you think you're  _maybe_  overreacting a little? I mean,  _maybe_  things aren't what they seem."

Chloe sighed, groaning and she forced herself to sit up. "He's never available when I call anymore, always has a reason to log off when I log on,  _and_  he's been spending time with  _that girl_. What else could it be? He's realized it's stupid to wait for me to turn eighteen when he has a gorgeous supermodel-lookalike right there in Stanford with him." She closed her eyes. "It was bound to happen. Maybe it was fate that it happened with  _that girl."_

 _That girl_ , was Jessica Lee Moore, a beautiful student who'd been possessed by a Zoner-and the reason Sam and Chloe had met in the first place.

"Sure, she was beautiful," Clark admitted. "But Sam's not an idiot, Chloe, and only an  _idiot_  would let go of  _you_."

" _Especially_  not days before your birthday," Lois agreed full-heartedly. "You'll see that he'll have a  _great_  reason for all that's going on now. Sam  _loves_  you Chloe, and he told you himself, he'd never felt that way before. He'd only known you for a  _day_  and he was willing to wait  _two years_  for you. That kind of devotion doesn't change from the evening to the morning at the snap of a thumb."

Tears filled green eyes as Chloe smiled shakily at them. "You guys are the  _best_. But I already made my mind up on this subject. We just weren't meant to be-I don't  _want_  to get that call or message from him apologizing and saying how he'd never intended to hurt me, so I've blocked his msn, his email, skype, and his every other contact info. I—it's just easier to make it a clean break like that."

" _Chloe,_ " Lois whispered. "I think you're making a  _big_  mistake."

Chloe shrugged and looked away, closing her eyes. "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep a little."

"But-," Lois argued.

"Lois, let her rest," Clark interrupted, getting up and pulling her along with him. "You and I have some things we need to do anyway."

It was only because Lois was intrigued that she let him drag her away.

* * *

 

Clark looked down at Lois, who was nodding. "What do you think?"

"Other than the fact that  _I_  want to be the one to call Sam and  _slam_  into him verbally for the mental torture he's putting my baby Cuz in, I think this is the best idea you've come up with, Smallville." The brunette folded her arms over her chest. "If there's anyone out there who might know of a way to help it would be  _them_ , and I  _do_  have an inside."

Clark smirked. "Why don't you just say that you're Cookoo for Coco Puffs about Wesley and he'd never deny you any help either?"

Lois glared at him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. " _If_  we feel anything for each other,  _Smallville_ , it isn't anything as  _unimpressive_  as what you just described."

Clark grinned. "Oh, of  _course_."

Lois  _knew_  that he'd seen right through her, and glared darker. "I'm going to go call Wesley. You come find me as soon as you finish talking to Sam."

Clark nodded, watching her storm away and pull out her cellular. He waited until she disappeared from view before pulling out his  _own_  cellular and heading to the house, bounding up the stairs to his room and dialing Sam's number. If only he still had his abilities he would have supersped towards Stanford to talk to the taller guy in person.

But he'd given up his powers for Lana, and Clark would have to do what he could with what he had.

Closing his bedroom door, Clark waited as Sam's home phone rang. He knew it was late at night and Sam was probably either studying or sleeping, but this was important.

And then it was answered-by a  _girl_. "Hello?"

And Clark recognized the voice. "Jessica, it's me Clark Kent, we met a couple of months ago."

"It's you! The guy who helped me when I got shot!" Jessica's voice went a little higher. "How are you doing? I always ask Sam about y-you a-all and while he can be tight-lipped about you guys he lets me know that you are okay."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "Uh, yeah. Look, it's nice talking to you again, but I need to talk to Sam, it's urgent."

"Uh,  _sure_." The mouthpiece was then partially covered and Clark strained his hearing and was somehow able to hear Jessica whispering to Sam who it was, and Sam telling her to make up some excuse. "Uhm,  _Clark_?" Jessica returned. "Sam is actually  _showering_  right now, I'll tell him you called and get him to-."

"Look." Clark was  _furious_. How  _could_  Sam do this to Chloe? "I don't need to talk to him in person, you can give him a message for me."

"Sure." Jessica sounded surprisingly eager. "No problem. You guys helped me and I can never even  _begin_ to repay it."

Clark wanted to snap at her that if she  _really_  wanted to repay the debt she could stay the  _hell_  away from Chloe's unofficial boyfriend, but he reigned in his temper. "Tell Sam that since Chloe couldn't get a hold of him lately I've decided to give the news to him myself."

"Uh-huh?" Jessica prompted when Clark remained silent for a couple of minutes, regrouping.

"Tell him that Chloe says it's over."

There was silence.

" _What_?" Jessica whispered.

"And tell him that if he so much as tries to get into communication with her again that I'll  _kill him_." Clark let the anger through his voice as he said those last two words. " _No one_  hurts my friend like that and gets away with it. He even  _breathes_  her name and I'll be there and-." Clark closed his eyes, glad for the first time that Chloe hadn't been able to tell Sam about Clark losing his powers.

"Clark-."

Clark hung up, took in a deep breath, and was about to go back downstairs when his phone began to ring furiously, Sam's house number flashing on the caller I.D.

Temptation to just cut the call off was strong, but the desire to lash out his anger on Sam was  _stronger_ , so Clark answered the phone. "What the  _hell_  do you  _want_ , Winchester?"

"What do you  _mean_ , it's over?" Sam's voice was hoarse, and surprisingly enough  _desperate_. "Why would-? What-?"

"Why the  _hell_  do you care?" Clark wanted to know.

"Because I  _love_   _her_  goddamit!" Sam snapped, fury mixing with the desperation.

"You  _really_  have a weird way of proving your love, Winchester." Clark sneered, letting his anger get the best of him. "You avoid Chloe's calls, avoid her attempts to contact you on the internet, and you hang out  _late into the night_  in your home with another woman."

There was silence before Sam spoke. "Look, I know it  _seems_  bad but-."

"Do you  _know_  how long it's been since you've talked to Chloe?" Clark interrupted. " _Two weeks_. Do you  _know_ what's happened to her in these two weeks? Oh, right,  _you don't_!"

"Something happened to Chloe?" Sam asked, worry deep in his voice.

"Uhm, other than  _DYING SEVEN TIMES?_  Lemme see, NO!" Clark ran his fingers through his hair.

"She's-she's died  _seven times_  in fourteen days?" Sam sounded furious. "Where the  _hell_  were  _you_  when this happened?"

"You might have known if you'd  _picked up one of her calls!_ " Clark shot back. "Look. Chloe's determined about this, okay? It's over. You'll see that she's blocked your emails, messengers, and phone number. She wants a clean break. She doesn't need the distraction this situation is giving her." Clark closed his eyes, feeling tired. "She's taking longer and longer to come back to life. Lois and I-we think-we're  _terrified_  that if it continues this way she won't come back again."

Sam was silent.

"So just stop hurting her, Winchester, Chloe doesn't deserve it." And with that he ended the phone call and headed towards where he knew Lois had gone to make the phone call.

By the time he'd reached her she'd finished the call and was waiting for him.

"So?" Lois asked, arms folded over her chest.

"I called…Jessica answered."

Lois' eyes flashed. "It's midnight! What's she doing there?"

Clark sighed. "Look, I already told him myself that Chloe was ending their relationship and didn't want to see him anymore, I think he got the message.

" _Bastard_." Lois rang her fingers through her hair, looking so  _sad_. "I really-I really thought he  _loved_ her."

"How did  _your_  phone call go?" Clark asked, wanting to forget about that conversation with Jessica and Sam.

"Better than yours," Lois announced, sighing. "I talked to Wesley and he thinks that there's a way. We have to go see the  _Oracles_."

"The  _Oracles_?" The once-alien had never heard of that before.

"Yeah, apparently they're intermediaries between us mortals and The Powers That Be. If anyone can help us, it'd be them." Lois kicked at a pebble. "Only thing is that we need a gift and we need to get our asses to L.A."

Clark nodded. "We'll figure something out." They both turned and looked towards the barn, where Chloe was still resting. "We  _have_  to."


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe looked around the office Angel Investigations were using as their central base. It was small and had a slight smell of mildew, but other than that it had a homey feel to it that she liked. Clark was staring at a picture of a small group of people on the one desk in the office and Lois was constantly fussing with her clothes and hair.

They'd gotten there a day earlier than they'd told those at Angel Investigations, so they weren't surprised that the office was empty. The timing had been goofed on purpose. This way they'd could see the place the way it really was, and  _not_  the more cleaned up version, plastic one.

Chloe liked to see how people  _really_  were, not how they liked  _other_  people to see them…and she  _liked_  what she saw in this office. It was small, admittedly  _unimpressive_ , but there were many little details that made it warm and fuzzy, unlike the cold and clinical airs of most Private Eye offices.

"Oh,  _hello_!" A pretty young woman with long brown hair announced as she came in from the back room. "I didn't hear you come in, welcome to Angel Investigations!" Her dark gaze ventured onto Clark and they widened in female appreciation. "Hubba hubba."

Clark looked around him, obviously confused at to what she was referring.

Chloe and Lois rolled their eyes at Clark's apparent inability to realize that any female other than Lana Lang could find him attractive.

"Cordelia, stop harassing our customers," a deep male voice retorted in a friendly manner as a tall male with a bulk to rival Clark's appeared from the back room as well, smiling at them and rubbing his hands together. "How may we at Angel Investigations help you?"

"You could  _start_  by telling me where Wesley is." Lois frowned, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"Excuse me?" The tall male asked.

His assistant  _Cordelia_  was busy staring at Clark, who was starting to blush slightly in understanding.

Chloe grinned, stepping forwards and smiling at the man who could only be the boss. "You must be Angel, I recognize your voice from our few phone conversations. I'm Chloe Sullivan, and these are Lois Lane and Clark Kent."

Angel's eyes widened as he obviously recognized her voice. "Chloe?"

She grinned brighter. "Does my voice not match my face? You look surprised."

The vampire shook his head and then took hurried steps forwards, grabbing her hand and shaking it. "It's nice to finally meet you." His gaze went to Lois, who was looking around in suspicion as if Wesley might be hiding under a desk or behind a chair. "And  _she_ 's the famous Lois Lane." He grinned. "Wesley won't know what hit him, he's actually out acquiring a couple of books we need-we weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

"I know, we got in a day earlier than expected." Chloe smiled, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "We actually anticipated more interference from our parents about leaving in the middle of the school week, but apparently the Kents and my father knew more about our extracurricular activities than we thought they did, and they understand why it's important for us to be here."

"The Oracles,  _right_." Cordelia managed to tear her gaze from Clark. "It's evening now, and it's best to go to see them in the morning, so why don't we take them to Caritas, Angel? Show them a good time before they have to go and face the Oracles?"

Angel made a face, apparently about to say something, when he turned to Chloe. "How comfortable are you in a demon bar?"

"A  _demon_  bar?" Chloe frowned, remembering the demon who'd flattened Lana against the ceiling of the barn's loft and eviscerated her before their very eyes. "We don't have good relationships with demons."

Clark looked away, face shadowing.

Lois began to tap her high heels (arms folded impatiently over her chest) against the tiled floor and glare at the door, checking her watch ever so often.

"Well, it's a neutral bar-really a karaoke bar than anything else!" Cordelia announced, smiling friendly at Chloe. "Violence is prohibited in there, and it's fun. Lorne—the empathy demon who runs the place, reads your future when you go up to sing."

"Reads your future?" Clark asked, suddenly interested.

And Chloe knew why.  _Lana_. Clark wanted to know if the lady fair of his life would ever come out of her self-exile and be with him once more despite all that'd happened.

The blonde sighed, seeing the hopeful look in Clark's blue eyes. "We'll go to this karaoke bar, God knows we  _need_  some R&R."

" _Great_!" Cordelia clapped her hands. "We'll go as soon as Wesley comes back. The sun should be set by then."

"When  _is_  he coming back?" Lois wanted to know. "I wore my best suit-these heels are  _painful,_ and the idiot doesn't even have the  _decency_  to be here to greet me?" She narrowed her eyes, and if she'd been Kryptonian red laser beams would be shooting out. "I should head right back and forget about this meeting!"

Cordelia grinned and leaned closer to Angel. " _Oooh,_ I  _like_  her. She'll keep Wesley on his toes."

Angel seemed amused as well.

Just then somebody rushed through the door, face hidden behind the large stack of books he carried. "Do you have any  _idea_  how hard it was to acquire these ancient Sumerian texts?" The voice of one oblivious and frustrated Wesley Wyndam-Pryce could be heard. "And when I  _finally_  found them I had to haggle with this three armed Wusler demon who kept wanting me to exchange  _my_  arm for them instead of the currency-."

" _Wesley Wyndam-Pryce_." Lois growled. "How long is it going to take for you to put down your books and  _notice that I'm here_?"

Wesley froze immediately. " _Lois_?" His voice squeaked from behind the large, ancient, and apparently  _rare_ Sumerian texts. "Is that  _you_?"

"No, it's  _batman_." Lois glared at him as she removed two books from the pile in his hands so he could  _see_  the glare. "I go to all the trouble to wear  _heels_  and you don't even  _notice I'm here_!"

"What-what are you doing here?" He squeaked, eyes wide and on her. "You're supposed to be here  _tomorrow_ , not  _today_!"

" _Why am I_ _ **here**_?!" Lois growled before  _roughly_  replacing those books and stomping around him towards the door. "That's  _it_! I'm outta here! Good luck with the Oracles!" And with that she slammed the door and stormed away into the sunset.

"That  _bloody_  annoying woman," Wesley groaned before  _dropping_  the books (to Cordelia and Angel's wide-eyed surprise) and storming out after Lois.

"Did he-?" Cordelia begin.

"Drop  _books_?" Angel finished, both looking at each other in horror.

"Okay,  _who_  was that and what did he do to Wesley?" Cordelia wanted to know, pointing towards the door that'd been slammed shut twice in a few minutes. "The Wesley  _we_  know, the  _real_  Wesley would  _never_ 'disrespect the sanctity of the written word'!"

Angel was still staring in shock at the door.

"I mean, he nearly had a  _heart attack_  when I was using one of those things as a hand rest while I was painting my fingernails!" Cordelia continued.

While the two from Angel Investigations tried to get over their shock and horror, Chloe and Clark had sneaked outside into the darkening world and spied on the couple as Wesley caught up with Lois and grabbed her arm, flinging her around to face him.

Thus began another argument. Lois jerked her arm out of his hold and flung her hands around as she yelled at him, and Wesley began doing the same, eyes narrowed. Something he said must have hit a nerve because Lois snarled and her hand flew out to slap him, but Wesley proved to have amazing reflexes as he caught her wrist in his hand before it could make contact with his face.

Lois narrowed her eyes and tugged viciously at her wrist before Wesley snapped something, pulled her to him, and kissed her. The pretty brunette fought violently for about a minute before plastering herself against Wesley, turning them around and pushing him up against the side of the building.

Chloe and Clark turned to each other and grinned, having guessed Lois' plan to get Wesley out by himself all along.

"Wow." Cordelia's voice whispered, and Clark and Chloe turned to see her and Angel out by them now that the sun was gone. "Who  _knew_  Wes learnt how to kiss?"

Angel snickered. "Maybe those disastrous kisses you two shared in high school were preparation?"

"Of  _course_  I'd be the practice dummy." And yet Cordelia was smiling as she looked at them before turning to the newcomers. "Well, after they finally manage to break apart we should go, okay?"

Clark nodded, apparently excited.

Chloe sighed as she looked at him, hoping to  _god_  that whatever he learnt tonight didn't break his heart.

* * *

 

 _Caritas_  the  _demon bar_  was  _nothing_  like Chloe had anticipated. It was bright and lively and  _cute_. Demons of every kind were sitting and laughing together, not giving the humans a second glance, while a demon with six eyes made a fool of himself up on stage with the karaoke while those below cheered him on despite his being  _extremely_  tune-deaf.

"Angelcake!" A loud, eccentric  _green_  demon with horns holding a Sea Breeze in his hand came towards them. "Long time no see! Cordelia, Wesley- _oooh_ , who are  _these_  newcomers?"

"Lorne, these are some friends from ours in Kansas," Angel announced, placing a hand on Chloe's shoulder as if second nature. "They're Chloe, Lois, and Clark."

"I know  _her_." Lorne pointed to Lois. "I saw her last time Wes was forced up to sing." He smiled at Lois, who was sending an embarrassed Wesley a grin. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You too." Lois smiled, obviously getting over her distrust of demons for now. "We're actually here because we heard you could read futures, and our friend here  _really_  wants to know about a certain someone."

" _Lois_." Clark glared at her.

" _What_?" Lois asked back. "It'll be best if he knows what to look for!"

"Why don't I read the three of you?" Lorne offered generously. "Pick a table, order drinks, and the bravest go up and give us a rendition of any song!"

Chloe kept her eyes on Lorne suspiciously. She'd never known a demon as  _odd_  as him, and ever since she'd met Sam she'd been running into them frequently despite the fact that they'd been nonexistent before.

She closed her eyes as her heart hurt at Sam's name in her head.

_Chloe, stop it! You ended it! You're strong, blonde and independent! You don't need him! You can get along fine without a guy!_

"Sweetcheeks." Lorne's voice was soft and worried as his hand pulled a strand of her hair out of her face, causing her eyes to open in surprise. "Whatever's causing you so much pain? Forget about it! You're in  _Caritas_! There is only room for  _happy_  feelings here!"

Chloe was surprised at the tenderness in the demon's touch. "O-ok."

Her fundamental belief in demons was drastically changing as she sat down at a table with the others and drank a vodka and sprite while observing the vampires, demons and monsters around her having innocent fun.

This was- _crazy_.

Clark finally went up to the stage nervously, and after picking  _In The Real World_  by Roy Obison, began to sing in a wobbly voice, going out of tune more than once.

When the song was finished he stumbled off of the stage and headed towards Lorne, who was eyeing him oddly and sitting in a private sector of Caritas designated only for the host and those whom he'd read.

Chloe watched as Lorne spoke to Clark seriously, and the hope disappeared from Clark's eyes, his head bowing. She wanted to cry for him, but kept strong when he raised his head and looked at Lorne intensely, nodding, agreeing with whatever it was the demon was telling him. Finally it was over and Clark got up, heading towards them.

Lois jumped up from the seat. "Okay, it's  _my_  turn!" She sauntered up towards the stage, took the mic from its stand, and picked  _Physical_  by Olivia Newton-John. In seconds she had the crowd cheering and whistling as she strutted all over the stage singing and shaking her hips, flinging her hair back and forth saucily.

Wesley was stuck in his seat, eyes wide and glued on her.

"Hey Wes, can you take a hint?" Cordelia laughed and clapped loudly for Lois as the brunette on the stage sang the chorus of the song and gazed directly at Wesley, who looked like he was having problems swallowing.

"You know," Chloe leaned towards the frozen male and whispered. "She's a year older than us-so that means she's  _eighteen_."

Wesley gulped loudly.

Chloe grinned and leaned back against her seat, work done.

Finally the song ended (with a loud and  _insane_  amount of cheering and applause from the audience) as Lois sauntered off the stage, winked at a blushing Wesley, and going towards a shell-shocked Lorne.

They spoke a little longer than Lorne and Clark, Lois looking a mixture of perturbed and excited by the time she returned to the table and sat down next to Wesley, turning to Chloe. "It's your turn."

Chloe hesitated, looking up at the platform. "I don't know Lois, you're performance was a hard one to follow."

"Go  _on_ , we both did it!" Lois gave her a friendly shove out of her seat.

Chloe stumbled slightly, glared at her cousin, and then took in a deep breath as she walked up to the stage and picked up the mic, looking through the list of songs.

Her green gaze fell upon a certain song and she shook her head, smile wry, and she picked it. Grabbing a chair off to the side of the stage, she brought it to the center and sat down, singing the words as the haunting music began.

" _You and me_

_We used to be together_

_Everyday together always_

_I really feel_

_That I'm losing my best friend_

_I can't believe_

_This could be the end_

_It looks as though you're letting go_

_And if it's real_

_Well I don't want to know"_

She closed her eyes tightly when she felt the embarrassing tingling in her eyes that warned her that tears were forming. Maybe she and Sam hadn't been together physically every day, but they'd done their best to talk or videochat every day, they used to be miserable if a day or more passed without communication…

And then Sam had just  _changed_.

" _Don't speak_

_I know just what you're saying_

_So please stop explaining_

_Don't tell me 'cause it hurts_

_Don't speak I know what you're thinking_

_I don't need your reasons_

_Don't tell me 'cause it hurts"_

The reason why she'd blocked Sam's numbers and such was because she didn't  _need_  him to be apologetic and gentlemanlike when he finally got back into contact with her to tell her that he'd fallen in love with someone else. She preferred to end it like this, on her terms-without hearing his voice say that he didn't feel the same way for her anymore.

" _Our memories_

_Well, they can be inviting_

_But some are altogether_

_Mighty frightening_

_As we die, both you and I_

_With my head in my hands_

_I sit and cry_

_Don't speak_

_I know just what you're saying_

_So please stop explaining_

_Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)_

_Don't speak_

_I know what you're thinking_

_I don't need your reasons_

_Don't tell me cause it hurts"_

Chloe was so wrapped up in her song and in her feelings that she hadn't noticed the fact that Caritas had gone deathly silent, every eye in the room focused on her, and those eyes were misting up at the heartbreak coming through her voice and piercing their hearts.

It was frightening how much she'd allowed herself to fall in love with him.

All she could think of was Sam, and  _it hurt_.

" _It's all ending_

_I gotta stop pretending who we are..._

_You and me I can see us dying...are we?_

_Don't speak_

_I know just what you're saying_

_So please stop explaining_

_Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)_

_Don't speak_

_I know what you're thinking_

_I don't need your reasons_

_Don't tell me cause it hurts_

_Don't tell me cause it hurts!_

_I know what you're saying_

_So please stop explaining"_

Tears ran down her cheeks as she continued to keep her eyes closed, picturing Sam smiling and laughing, and then growing more and more distant until not even speaking to her anymore.

The tears continued to flow and her voice grew slightly hoarse.

" _Don't speak,_

_don't speak,_

_don't speak,_

_oh I know what you're thinking_

_And I don't need your reasons_

_I know you're good,_

_I know you're good,_

_I know you're real good_

_Oh, la la la la la la La la la la la la_

_Don't,_

_Don't,_

_uh-huh_

_Hush, hush darlin'_

_Hush, hush darlin'_

_Hush, hush_

_don't tell me tell me 'cause it hurts_

_Hush, hush darlin'_

_Hush, hush darlin'_

_Hush, hush_

_don't tell me tell me 'cause it hurts"_

There was silence as she finished, and Chloe finally opened her eyes, gazing in horror at the audience, seeing tears that matched her own and knowledge on their faces.

Humiliated and horrified Chloe threw herself off of the stage and rushed away, Lois and Clark calling after her as she raced out of Caritas and lost herself into the darkness of the night before finally collapsing in a dark alley, drawing her knees to her chest and looking at her feet numbly.

She was there for she didn't know how long, feeling so  _empty_.

"I've never been moved to tears before during a performance." Lorne's voice was suddenly by her side as the demon appeared out of the darkness, Sea Breeze still in his hand as he leaned on the wall next to her. "Well,  _maybe_  out of pain because some of the people who go on my stage should  _never_  be given a mic, but not from  _sadness._ "

"I made a spectacle of myself," Chloe whispered.

"No, you  _finally_  let people see a  _speck_  of the pain inside of you, cinnamon-bun." Lorne sighed, turning to look at her. "Your pain reached  _everyone_  in Caritas, Chloe, not just  _me_."

"Sorry."

"Don't  _apologize,_  strawberry shortcake." Lorne smiled tenderly. "Do you want to know what I saw when you sang?"

She was silent, hugging herself.

"Everything's going to be alright," he promised, finally giving up the battle between keeping his suit clean and sitting next to her on the ground, placing a green hand on her shoulder. "You're going to have some tough battles in the future, and there are a lot of things in motion that involve you and those you love that you won't know of until they happen, but in the end you will be okay."

Chloe desperately wanted to believe him.

"Oh." Lorne added as an afterthought. "And Sam's going to find a way to get around the block you have on him."

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at his smiling, green face. How had the demon known about that?

"When he does, I'd listen to him if I were you," Lorne advised.

A tremulous smile slowly made its way on Chloe's face. "Everything's going to be okay?"

"Yes, cupcake, everything will be okay." Lorne nodded gently.

Chloe didn't know  _why_  she trusted this demon, but she did, and she finally did something she'd been dying to do since the whole problem with Sam. She threw her arms around another person and broke down.

Lorne put down his Sea Breeze and hugged her close, letting her cry her heartbreak into his suit…and that's how Lois and Clark found them.

* * *

 

Since there was little space for them to stay that night, the three friends separated, each going to the home of one of the Fang Gang with the promise to talk about what Lorne had told them that night tomorrow after dealing with the Oracles.

Lois had told Wesley she was spending the night at  _his_  apartment, and the Brit had only been able to squeak and nod his head, Cordelia had then announced that she had  _no problem at all_  keeping Clark and had dragged him away with her before anyone could even  _react_ , so that'd left Chloe with Angel. Since they'd talked multiple times on the phone they were comfortable enough together and it really didn't bother the vampire or the metahuman.

She and Angel spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, sharing stories of lovesick!Wesley and moonstruck!Lois. Somehow that conversation went to Angel's ex-girlfriend (who he was  _still_  in love with) Buffy, and then onto Sam. They felt even  _more_  comfortable with each other after that as they could talk about their heartaches and bond because of it.

Chloe had then gone to bathe, and in the middle of her bath Angel stuck his head in the bathroom.

"Hey Chloe, your dad's on the phone."

"Angel, do you  _always_  barge in on girls while they bathe?" She laughed, sticking her head out from behind the shower curtain.

Angel blushed. "Oh, I, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't really think-."

"Yeah, yeah." Chloe laughed. "You just wanted to see little ol' me naked, admit it."

"Well, have to admit, the suit had me curious." Angel chuckled.

Chloe grinned. She enjoyed their teasing, especially since Angel was so incredible in love with Buffy that Chloe felt incredibly safe despite everything.

Angel entered and passed her the phone. "Here you go."

"Thanks Angel, you've been so good to me tonight, I don't know what I would have done without you." She brought the phone to her ear. "Hey daddy? Don't worry, I found a place to stay here in L.A., I'm rooming with my friend Angel, remember I told you about him?"

There was silence…and then a dial tone.

Chloe blinked in surprise and checked the number that'd called. It  _had_  been her father's number. "Hmmm. Must have gotten cut off, I'll give him a call back when I finish bathing."

Angel nodded and left.

Chloe tried calling her father again but his cell just rang and rang.

Shrugging, she cuddled up in the bed Angel had given up to her to sleep in, and fell asleep, dreaming of Sam and Jessica and Oracles and of Lorne warning her that there were still many difficult battles ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

Stretching like a cat, Chloe yawned as she made her way to the bathroom. Angel had leant her one of his shirts to sleep in the night before, and it was like a nightgown for her it was so big. The blonde smiled to herself, feeling giddy about going to see the Oracles, and as well as a little nervous.

"Morning." Angel smiled, drinking a cup of warmed blood as he read the newspaper. "Did you sleep well?"

"Your bed is  _great_." She was amazed at how easy they were around each other. She was only wearing his shirt—which reached the top of her thighs, and yet they were acting as if it were nothing. "You know, I used to be disappointed when I found out that vampires  _didn't_  sleep in coffins, but now I'm glad!"

Angel laughed before picking up her cellular. "Your dad called again early this morning, he has a young sounding voice."

"I know, I've been told." Chloe smiled, going to the fridge and opening it, giving a little cry of happiness when she saw some donuts there. "What did he say?"

"He wanted to know where you were staying exactly, why you were staying with me, and why Lois and Clark weren't over here as well," Angel replied, eyes returning to the newspaper. "I told him and-."

The doorbell rung.

Angel made to get up.

"No, let me." Taking a bite out of her donut Chloe trudged to the front door and opened it, surprised to see no one there. "Hello?" Stepping outside into the hall, the blonde turned and looked in one direction, and when she saw no one she turned and looked down the  _other_  side of the hall. " _Strange_." She mumbled around the donut as she chewed.

"Who is it?" Angel's voice called from inside.

"No one. Must have rung the wrong place." Chloe finished the donut and then yawned, running her fingers through her messy hair as she turned to look at Angel, who'd arrived in the doorway. "Last night was  _exhausting_ , remind me  _never_  to try to keep up with demon stamina again."

"I'll try go easier on you next time." Angel laughed, remembering how after everyone had gotten Chloe to come back to  _Caritas_  they'd had a karaoke war, one in which Chloe had somehow managed to compete in. They'd sang throughout most of the night before retiring to their prospective places and then Angel and her had talked a lot as well.

"Let's go back inside, I'm still half naked and you owe me a good,  _filling_  breakfast after last night." Chloe pushed him inside and followed, closing the door behind her.

"So, are you nervous?" Angel asked as they returned to the kitchen.

"A little," she admitted as she leaned against the wall. "I've never gone to see  _Oracles_  before, and we don't know if these  _Powers That Be_  will even  _help_  us-I mean-why exactly  _should_  they?"

"You're helping a lot of people Chloe, all of you are," Angel replied seriously. "Even if you aren't working  _for_ them, you're still helping The Powers That Be with what you're doing. They'll help you, even if they make you beg a little."

Chloe smiled, going to the fridge to grab another donut. "You  _really_  need to stock more nutritious things in your fridge-other than the blood in the freezer of course."

He grinned at her.

After that they took the sewer tunnels and finally met up with Lois, Clark, Wesley and Cordelia. The three Smallville natives hugged each other and followed their L.A. friends through the sewage system, heading towards the entrance to where the Oracles were.

They finally reached a grand Arch, and Chloe paused when she looked at it. "'The Gateway for Lost Souls'," she turned to Angel, "is under the  _post office_?"

Angel shrugged.

"No, really." Lois turned to Wes. "The  _post office_?"

Wes gave a little smile at her. "It makes sense if you think about it." His face then went serious as he fixed his glasses and stared at the three young adults. "Now listen, the Oracles are finicky and unpredictable. You  _do_  get in, don't waste any time-yours  _or_  theirs. Ask your questions and get out.

"Okay." Clark nodded, taking in a deep breath."Let's do this."

Wesley nodded, mouthed 'be careful' to Lois, and then put some herbs in an urn. "We beseech access to the knowing ones." Putting a lighter to the urn he watched as it filled with high flames, and the arc to the entrance of the Gateway of Lost Souls began to glow and fill with light. "You're in."

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe, Lois and Clark held hands and stepped through the light into a white marble chamber. Two glittering figures that resembled Greek gods, one female and one male, stood before them.

The male stared down at them in silence before beckoning them closer with his hand. "Come before us, lower beings."

Lois tensed but kept silent.

The female appeared intrigued. "What have you brought us?"

Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry case, passing it to the female.

"Ah, these came prepared," the male stated as his female counterpart accepted the jewelry case with evident pleasure. "The last to summon us was a vampire who had no offering and had to give us his  _watch_."

"I  _like_  Time," the woman retorted playfully, looking away from where she'd been about to open the jewelry case. "There is so little and so much of it." She then returned her attention to the jewelry case and her eyes widened when she saw the beautiful Kryptonian necklace, which had once belonged to Clark's mother and had been sent with him to Earth. "You are  _not_  a lower being then, but  _another_  being."

The male looked at the jewelry with confusion as he turned his attention to the male, disgust plain on his beautiful, silvery face. "You gave up your divinity, your  _destiny_."

"That's why we're here." Chloe stepped forwards, and the beings turned to her. "We're asking for you to return his powers to him."

The Oracles were silent as they gazed upon Clark, before the male turned to Chloe and shook his head vehemently. "His powers were fairly exchanged, sealed in a matter of blood with a force that is that of our enemies. We cannot undo a pact performed willingly by blood."

"You made a  _blood pact_?" Lois gasped in horror at Clark.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "I did it to save the life of an innocent."

"You did it for  _yourself_ , other," the female corrected, voice emotionlessly. "Do not come to us and say that it was a pure, noble sacrifice. It was selfish in origin and intention."

"But I need to help Chloe!" Clark exclaimed. "I made a mistake—I know that! But Chloe shouldn't have to suffer because of it!"

"And what do you have to barter for your powers?" The male asked, turning on Clark. "You offered your powers to our enemies for the life of a mortal whose lifespan had already stretched longer than it'd been written in the Annals of Life. Did you believe a piece of  _jewelry_  would suffice your payment? Do you have nothing to offer in exchange for this  _if_  we graced you our mercy?"

"No, actually, we  _do_  have something," Chloe admitted, stepping forwards. "As I'm sure you know I'm not exactly a normal mortal either."

"You're not a  _mortal,_ " the male corrected.

Chloe faltered for a second before standing straight up. "I'm offering you something in exchange for his powers."

" _Chloe_ …" Clark's eyes widened in horror.

"Don't you  _dare_!" Lois exclaimed, also realizing what her cousin was about to do.

"And what would that be, immortal?" The female asked, curious.

"My immortality," Chloe answered. "I know that you already have immortality, but I'll give you  _mine_  as a show of how  _serious_  we are -  _I_  am - about this plea for help."

The Oracles were silent, eyeing her oddly before disappearing, leaving the three friends alone in the marble room.

"Are you  _insane_?" Lois snarled as she stormed towards Chloe and shook her. "Your powers are the only thing that's kept you alive since you were  _ten_! I am  _not_  letting you give that up!"

"Neither am  _I_." Clark announced seriously. "Chloe, I love you now more than ever, but I won't let you give that up."

"You guys don't have a  _choice,_ " Chloe responded evenly. "It's  _my_  power and I can give it to whomever I want!"

"But  _we_  have a choice in accepting this exchange or not." And suddenly the male and female were there once more. The male stepping forwards. "And while the offer was intriguing and  _unexpected_ , we decline the trade."

Chloe felt her heart stop for a second in disappointment.

"But there  _is_  something that we are interested in." The female stepped forwards as well, standing side by side with the male. "We are the Oracles of the Powers-That-Be, we are the All Knowing, we see the past, present and future as one."

"You gave up a great destiny for a love that was never meant to be, delicate as glass and shattered just as easily," the male told Clark. "And while we  _cannot_  give you the extent of your powers again for they now belong to the enemy, we  _can_  grace you with the strength you once had, powered by  _our_  source."

Clark's eyes narrowed. "In return for  _what_?"

"You." The female surprised them. "The  _three_  of you have such greatness in your destinies, and we have violent battles ahead to be fought."

Chloe shivered as she remembered Lorne's words from the night before.

"You will become our  _champions,_ " the male announced. "In exchange for your strength to be returned."

"Wait," Lois interrupted. "I can get Clark and Chloe becoming your champions, but  _me_? I don't have any super powers or alien ancestry in me. What good am  _I_  to you?"

The male and female smiled at each other mysteriously before the female turned to her. "In the future you will see when it is revealed to you."

"What  _is_  it with Oracles and green empathy demons?" Lois muttered to herself. "They never give you a straight answer!"

"Are we in agreement?" The male asked. "Will you be our champions and fight for us when the time comes in exchange for your friend's strength to be returned?"

Chloe didn't hesitate, only stepped forwards. "I will."

There was a knowing smile on the female's face.

"I will too." Lois stepped forwards as well, pulling Clark along. "And so will he."

Clark nodded.

The male did as well. "So be it." Holding up his hand he sent Lois and Clark flying backwards out of the archway.

Chloe's eyes widened in surprise. "What did you-?"

"You were going to give up your immortality for him." The female smiled as the male circled her contemplatively. "Not many would do so. You have a good heart, immortal."

"You will need a Connection to the Powers-That-Be, but do not worry, that connection shall appear soon enough." The male stopped behind her. "Her heart, it is  _covered_  by material from the  _others_  world, but it is weakening to naught, soon to be extinguished."

"I thought as much." The female nodded. "A gift for you, Chief Champion." And with that she surprised Chloe by cupping her face and pressing her lips to hers in a kiss-the same time the male's hands pierced through Chloe's back and grabbed her heart.

* * *

 

_Chloe sat in the middle of an endless meadow, naked as the day she was born, hugging her knees to her chest. She was alone, afraid, and didn't know where she was-what she was doing there-why she was_ _**naked** _ _._

_"Evil times ahead."_

_She jerked at that bodiless voice and looked around._

_"Death and destruction are eminent."_

_The blonde covered her chest with her hands and sat up straighter, looking around yet not seeing anyone to whom that voice could belong._

_"The future changed and now the war which should have been assured ours is lost in the mist of confusion as the enemy grows stronger day by day."_

_She opened her mouth to ask who it was, but found she couldn't speak._

_"Champions must be born, must take a stand, must battle fiercer than ever before or this world will be given over to darkness."_

_Realizing that the reason she couldn't speak was because she was meat to only_ _**listen,** _ _Chloe did just that._

_"Violent battles are the future."_

_Again those words._

_"Are you ready?_ "

"She's waking up!"

" _Chloe_!"

"Is she alright?"

"What  _happened_  to her?"

"Chloe, can you hear us?"

Groaning, Chloe opened her eyes and looked up at the worried faces surrounding her. "Hey guys." She winced at the agony in her body, realizing that she was in Angel's arms and they were hurrying towards Angel's apartment through the sewer tunnels.

"What  _happened_  back there?" Cordelia asked, eyes wide and worried. "You guys go in a second, Lois and Clark are thrown back out half a second later, and then you're thrown out  _unconscious_. What did they  _do_  to you?"

"If they hurt you-." Clark growled and punched a hole in the sewer wall-freezing as he realized what that meant. "They-they really did it, I have my strength back!"

Chloe smiled at him. " _Good_."

Wesley's gaze was on her. "What happened, Chloe? Why did the Oracles keep you back a little bit longer?"

Chloe frowned, trying to remember what had happened before she was naked in that field listening to the voice of doom. "I think, uh, she kissed me."

All the males froze and turned to look at her.

Lois and Cordelia's eyes widened and they shared a ' _ooooooookay'_  kinda look between them.

" _Kissed_  you?" Angel squeaked.

"I know." Chloe frowned at the memory. "Right before  _he_  drove his hands through my back."

" _WHAT?!_ " Lois screamed. "I'm going to  _kill_  them! We're going back!"

"No, we're not." Chloe shook her head. "Angel, put me down, I can walk."

The vampire did as told and while she was wobbly on her feet, the agony in her body had turned to heat and she was feeling a little caged and dizzy but strong enough to walk.

"They said it was a  _gift_ , and obviously they didn't harm me," she answered. "Now lets go back to Angel's, I feel like I want to sleep for two days straight."

The group continued towards Angel's apartment, talking about what the Oracles had said and wondering how the three young adults' lives would change now that they'd been enlisted in some holy war.

Climbing up through the sewers entrance to Angel's apartment building, Chloe followed the vampire (who'd placed a supportive arm around her shoulder), feeling so  _hot_ , so  _dizzy_. All she wanted was to get to Angel's apartment and sleep the whole day away.

As they turned the corner in the hall, Chloe froze, along with everyone else, when they saw a tall, handsome young man with silky brown hair leaning against the door to Angel's apartment, an aura of danger surrounding him.

" _Sam_?" Chloe gasped, shocked.

Sam looked up, his green-blue eyes connecting with hers briefly before going to the arm Angel had around her supporting her and then to the vampire, darkening angrily. The young law student pushed away from the door, stalked towards them, and before anyone could read his intent had slammed his right fist into Angel's face, sending the vampire flying back.

" _Stay the_ _ **hell**_ _away from_ _ **my woman**_!" He snarled viciously, looking so unlike the sweet young man Chloe knew that she was shocked stiff.

"What the  _hell_ , Sam?" Lois snapped as she hurried with Cordelia and Wesley to Angel's side.

"What are you doing here man?" Clark frowned, stepping a step forwards menacingly.

Ignoring them Sam turned to Chloe, most of the anger bleeding out of those eyes, returning him to the young man she knew and loved. " _Chlo_ , we need to talk."

Chloe opened her mouth to ask him what the  _hell_  was going on when the heat and the buzzing in her ears grew too much. Blood rushed to her head and right before her knees gave out and she succumbed to the darkness she felt his arms go around her, pulling her protectively to his warm body, her name a desperate cry on his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

Clark Kent sat down in the small space in Angel's apartment, looking out through the only window the place had. It was night once more and Chloe had been unconscious for a couple of hours, Sam by her side keeping her roasting fever down by running a wet rag over her body.

The alien took in a deep breath and continued to look out at the moon. There were so many things going through his mind at that moment that they all merged into one-Sam's angry explanation that shocked both him and Lois but made so much  _sense_ , Lorne's words from the night before, the Oracle's words from this morning- _everything_.

Most of his thoughts pointed to one conclusion.

He'd sorely fucked up.

Closing baby blue eyes, Clark sighed, leaning his forehead against the cool of the glass. He still didn't regret giving Lana life when it was indirectly  _his_  fault that hers had been taken from her-but what had the Oracle said? About Lana's life already having been stretched longer than the Annals of Time had written?

Did that mean that she should have died long before then? Were all those times Clark had saved her from death him just fighting against destiny trying to make things right?

His heart hurt at the thought of Lana no longer being in this world. He loved her. He'd always loved her-never ever saw another woman in the same light.

But he had to put away the things of a lovesick child away. Because of  _him_  he'd gotten the two most important people in his life enlisted in some holy war that promised to be  _hell_ , and he needed to concentrate on using the one power he had left to helping them and the cause.

He would  _never_  give them the opportunity of regretting doing this for him. He'd be there for Chloe and Lois in any way possible.

His closed eyes tightened even further.

It was finally time to let Lana go.

"Hey, you okay?" A soft hand came down on his shoulder.

Pulling away from the window Clark opened his eyes and turned to gaze down at a concerned Cordelia Chase. He really didn't know what to think about her. During the first part of the night at her apartment she'd spent the time either flirting shamelessly with him or scalding her pet  _ghost_ -called Phantom Dennis-who hadn't seemed to like Clark all that much.

Then she'd asked  _why_  they were going to see the Oracles and Clark had told her the truth. Somehow the whole story with Lana and the demon came tumbling out of his lips. He'd recounted Chloe's having to face the last Zoners on her own, her deaths, and his and Lois' terror that she wouldn't live through another death.

Something in Cordelia had changed by the end of the story. All flirtation was gone and replaced was the woman that now stood before him, serious, concerned.

"Yeah." Clark nodded, smiling down at her as best as he could.

"Oh, big guy, that smile doesn't reach your pretty eyes." Cordelia sighed, reaching up on her tiptoes and brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "Chloe's going to be alright, you don't have to worry so much about her. I've only known her this long and  _I_  can see that she'd going to pull out somehow."

"I know." Clark agreed, returning his gaze out of the window. "It's just, I'm too weak."

She chuckled softly. "I saw you punch a hole in a sewer wall, I  _doubt_  the truth to that statement."

He knew she was trying to make him smile, and he only did so because of her effort. "Cordelia, I used to be able to run faster than a speeding bullet, jump over entire building with a single leap. I could hear conversations miles away, see through things, set things on fire with  _lasers that came out of my eyes_ …now I'm just  _strong_. I gave all that up-and for what? For a girl who can't even look me in the face anymore?"

"You did what you're heart told you to, Clark, and I admire that more than you can imagine." Cordelia announced. "You should be relieved that you have such good friends. They went through all this trouble to help you—there are few people who would do that."

"I know." Clark nodded with a grin before he sighed. "You know, it took me with all my powers to be able to keep up with Chloe. I'm kinda worried that even with my strength back I'm only going to be a hindrance to her."

"That's stupid boy logic." Cordelia sniffed in disgust.

He chuckled at her as a comfortable silence fell upon them.

Cordelia nudged him slightly with her shoulder and moved closer when he made a space so she could look out with him at the moon.

"Lorne, when he read me last night, he said that I'd had this  _amazing_  destiny." Clark didn't know  _why_  he was telling Cordelia first before Chloe or Lois, but somehow it felt  _right_. "He said that in the future I was supposed to become this sort of  _superman_  who could  _fly_  on top of everything else I used to do, and protected Metropolis and the world."

"Wow." Cordelia gasped, turning to look at him as she leaned on the window frame. "Superman, huh?"

"Something like that." Clark made up his face, not exactly liking the name. "He said that I was supposed to have gone to work at the Daily Planet as a journalist of all things and, in time, marry  _Lois_."

"Wesley's Lois?" Cordelia made a face.

"Yeah, I was shocked about that too." Clark chuckled. "If Lois and I ever got married we'd probably  _kill_  each other." He shook his head, still chuckling before going serious once more. "But I messed up this great and glorious future by holding onto Lana even though I shouldn't have, even though he says deep down inside I knew she wasn't  _the one_. And when I went and sold my powers for her-sold my  _destiny_  for her-everything changed."

Cordelia was silent for a moment, neatly plucked eyebrows nearly touching in a frown. "Well, it's no use crying over spilled milk. What's done is done, and if you  _really_  feel responsible for all that's going to go to hell around here all you can do is do your best to be there when we'll need you, just like we will you, because in the end all we'll have are our true friends."

Clark turned and looked at her for a second, amazed that she hadn't tried to give him comforting words but had been straight-forwards and a little harsh.

She didn't realize how much he appreciated that.

"Did he see anything about your changed future?" Cordelia wanted to know. "You're-still not married to Lois right? Because Wes  _really_  wouldn't like that."

Clark chuckled. "No, Wes can be at ease. With our lives now it's impossible for anything between me and Lo." He paused for a second. "Lorne  _did_  say that something's going to happen soon though, and that we all had to be ready." He paused. "And that I  _would_  find someone, but it might take a little time."

"Well there's hope then, cheer up. I can only put up with one handsome hulk brooding all the time and it's only because Angel  _pays_  me that I put up with him." She ordered as she nudged him with her shoulder.

Clark smiled down at her and found himself laughing.

* * *

 

In the kitchen, Lois sat on the counter, looking down at the tiles and listening to Wesley as he went through Angel's fridge.

"All I can find here is blood and donuts." Wesley pulled out the plate with donuts and passed it to her. "Here, eat something. That pizza we ordered can't have been enough to fill you."

"Are you calling me fat?" Lois laughed softly, reaching for a chocolate covered donut and took a bite out of it, chewing slowly.

"No, of  _course_  not." Wesley shook his head as he leaned back against the counter next to her. "You'd beat the  _stuffing_  out of me if I ever did."

"You bet your cute British ass I would." Lois smiled when she saw the way he was blushing at that comment. "Tell me something." She swallowed another bite. "The reason you nearly  _ran_  away from me last night in your apartment. Is it  _really_  because you want to 'take this slow' and 'get to know each other personally better' before doing anything-or are you just a  _virgin_?"

Wesley erupted in a fit of coughs.

Lois's grin grew wide. "Wesley,  _are_  you a virgin?"

" _One_." He turned to her, fixing his glasses on his nose, scowl in place. "I did  _not_  'run' from you last night. I merely  _suggested_  that relationships based on the physical never go anywhere."

"Yeah, you pointed that out while making sure your  _chair_  was safely between us." Lois laughed as she remembered. "And how can you say that our relationship could be based on the  _physical_? We've been in contact for almost a  _year_  and we only  _finally_  met each other face to face  _yesterday_."

" _Two_ ," Wesley continued as if she hadn't said a word. "I am most  _certainly_  not a  _virgin_. I'll have you know that it's been  _many years_  since I've lost that."

"Well, I'll have  _you_  know that I  _am_  a virgin." Lois's voice was pure accusation. "I'm  _eighteen_ , Wesley, and a  _virgin_. Do you know how  _abnormal_  that is in this day and age?"

Wesley's mouth was opening and closing without a sound, his face completely red.

Jumping off of the counter, Lois finished the donut and turned on the Brit, who  _still_  wasn't getting anything out. "Chloe, Clark and I are the only virgins I know-and they're both sixteen still. I'm  _eighteen_. I'm  _legal._ "

Wesley gulped loudly as she cornered him against the counter. "Lo-Lo-Lo-."

"Now, the ball's your court. Either  _you_  take it or someone else will." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what's in my future, Oracles and Empathy demons like to be annoyingly  _vague_ , but I know something  _big_  is coming, and if it's  _death_  I don't want to have gone without becoming a  _woman_." Her eyes trapped his. "And I want  _you_  to make me one."

Wesley's face had gone serious, his eyes narrowed as they surveyed hers. "Are you  _sure_  about this?  _Sure_  that you won't regret it afterwards?"

" _Regret_  it?" She snorted. "I'm fully ready to  _rape_  you if you  _still_  won't even  _consider_  it."

Wesley closed his eyes and chuckled in amusement, shaking his head at her as he opened his eyes once more. "Lois, this isn't a laughing matter."

"I know. You're  _killing_ me."

The ex-watcher smiled tenderly at her, reaching out and dragging the brunette against his chest, resting his chin against the top of her head. "You want to tell me what the Oracles and Lorne told you that has you like this?"

Lois sighed, her hands going around his waist, resting her cheek against his beating heart, hating the fact that she was blushing scarlet. "Last night, when I got off of the stage, Lorne told me that my role in the future had changed, that certain things in the past, and certain things in the future, had changed for me and that I was now going to take a more active role."

"Active role?" He murmured.

"I know, I asked the same." Lois replied, closing her eyes as he tightened his hold around her. "Lorne was annoyingly vague about it, but from what he  _did_  say I know that something  _big_  is going to happen to me soon that's going to change my life, and I don't have a clue as to what it is."

"Well, I doubt it's  _death_  if you're going to have an 'active role' in the future. That makes it sound like you're going to be important in the coming battles-and you have to be alive for that to happen."

She relaxed, not having thought of it that way before. "You  _still_  have to sleep with me though."

"Soon." He promised, mirth in his voice. "Just not  _now_."

"You know, somehow this conversation is completely backwards," Lois grumbled into his shirt. " _You're_ supposed to be the hound dog begging for sex and  _I'm_  supposed to be the coy tease."

"I'm sure it'll come to that soon enough," Wesley promised, as if sure that'd appease her.

It did.

Breathing in his scent, enveloping herself in his heat, Lois smiled. "I promised myself I wouldn't say anything corny, but  _I don't want you to ever let me go. I like it in your arms_."

There was a moment's silence before Wesley kissed the top of her head. "I like you there too."

They stayed like that in silence, just enjoying the feel of the other.

* * *

 

Angel was out on the roof of the building, looking at the stars and thinking of all that'd happened these last two days. Not only had they finally met Lois Lane-the one woman who had Wesley madly in love with her without having even truly  _met_  her-but they'd met Chloe and Clark and become friends with them as well.

Angel had to admit he had a special fondness for Chloe, and it wasn't only because of his apparent weakness when it came to blondes. She was smart, spunky, and an all-round nice girl who reminded him of Buffy. Both girls were dealing with a destiny thrust upon them unwanted and were doing their best to do those destinies proud, no matter what it cost them in their personal lives.

He'd also, if only for a while, been able to share in heartache with her. He knew he'd never truly be over Buffy, and he'd known from the look on her face and the pain in her voice that Chloe felt the same way about Sam Winchester.

But things were looking good for the young couple.

Angel smiled as he rubbed his jaw and remembered what the young Winchester had told them when Clark and Lois had refused to let him be with Chloe because of his apparent  _betrayal_. The truth had shocked everyone, and when he was finished  _no one_  stood in his way as he went to Angel's room to be with and unconscious Chloe to be with her until she woke up.

Angel had heard a lot about the Winchesters, they killed a lot of demons around and he'd heard about the younger one leaving them-it'd been a big conversation starter, so it was interesting to meet the young man behind the stories.

Also, someone who'd been bred to kill demons-even  _vampires_ -wasn't exactly someone he wanted hating him. Angel realized where the young Winchester got the idea that Chloe and him had slept together, he'd been the one calling from Chloe's father's cellular all along.

The vampire remembered Sam's dark fury as he accused Angel of taking advantage of an emotionally vulnerable Chloe. Angel didn't know  _which_  emotion had been stronger on the boy's face when Cordelia had laughed and blurted out all the facts about Angel's 'happiness clause'-relief or  _joy_.

He'd been obviously  _terrified_  that he'd lost Chloe, and the relief that he might still have a chance-it'd actually made Angel smile-and  _think_.

That was why he was now up on the roof, looking down at his cellular-at Buffy's number in his cellular. He wanted to press the 'send' button, to have the same braveness Sam must have had to come to a place he didn't know and fight for the woman he loved-even though he was sure she'd moved on.

His finger hesitated over the button and he closed his eyes, scoffing in disgust.

Come  _on!_  He was Angel the vampire! He could  _do_  this!

Still he hesitated.

His phone began to vibrate, shocking him with surprise.

Brown eyes widened when he saw the name on the caller i.d.

 _Buffy_.

* * *

 

_"A gift for you, Chief Champion."_

Jolting in bed with a gasp, Chloe's hand went to her heart, the female Oracle's voice echoing in her head, the pain of the male's hands going around her heart piercing as if it were happening at that very second.

"Chloe!  _Chloe!_ " Sam's voice could be heard and he was suddenly sitting on the side of her bed, arms going around her as he pulled her to him. " _Shhhh_. Calm down. It's only a bad dream. Everything's fine now."

"He still has my heart!" Chloe cried, hysteric, clutching handfuls of his shirt, shaking, terrified. "He's still grabbing my heart!"

"No, no one's touching you but me," Sam whispered in a soothing voice as he caressed her hair. "I'm here, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. You're safe."

The ghost pains faded away and Chloe finally calmed thanks to the sound of his voice, feeling stupid for how she'd acted. The blonde pulled away from Sam, looking at him warily, leaning against the bedhead. "What are you doing here, Sam?"

Sam winced before taking in a deep breath. "I probably deserve that." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Before anything, let me clear just one thing. I  _love_  you, Chloe, and there's  _nothing_  between me and Jessica." He paused, a small smile curving those still beautiful lips. "If it makes you feel any better, the only reason she talks to me is because she wants to know if I've heard anything new on  _Clark_. She's been kinda in love with him ever since waking up in the hospital that day and he was looking down at her."

Chloe was silent for a moment. "That's more than one thing."

"Huh?" He asked, obviously not getting the reaction he'd expected.

"You said you needed to clear  _one_  thing." Chloe reminded him, face still impassive. "That's more than one."

"Um,  _yeah_ , you're right." Sam agreed, rubbing his thumbs and fingers together nervously. "I know that it doesn't begin to excuse my behavior the last couple of weeks, but I didn't really stop to think how you might take it. I just wanted to keep it a secret and I  _knew_  that if I talked to you, Lois or Clark it'd somehow slip out-and you  _know_  that Clark and Lois are useless when it comes to keeping secrets from you."

Chloe sat up straighter in bed, frowning slightly at him, confused and not exactly sure where he was going with this.

"Jessica kept appearing asking about Clark and what I'd heard about him and if he was still with the girlfriend I'd told her he had, and she found out and said she'd help." Sam sighed, leaning forwards in the bed and almost reached out to hold Chloe's hand but stopped at the last minute. "At first I declined her help but then I thought-I really don't understand the female psyche-Jessica could give me an inside view and some female advice."

By now Chloe was more upset about how  _confused_  she was than with Sam. What in the world was he talking about? What didn't he want  _her_  to know about but didn't mind  _Jessica_  knowing? And  _helping_?

"I'm sorry, it was stupid of me not to realize how it would seem to you, it's just that, I can't imagine myself with anyone else and I sometimes forget that—I don't know, you mightn't be as sure of my feelings." Sam was blushing and looking away. "I only got it the other night, and Jessica came over to look it over and give her womanly approval, make sure it was  _perfect_ , and then Clark calls and tells me that you're breaking up with me."

"What?" Chloe asked, eyes narrowing. "Clark did  _what_?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled weakly at her. "He called, told me off for what I'd done, and informed me that my relationship with you was over. Only after talking to him did I realize what you thought was going on."

Chloe sighed, that was  _just_  like Clark. He was too much of a protective older brother.

"I tried getting in contact with you but what Clark had said was true-you'd block me  _completely_." Sam gulped and looked away. "So I got on the first flight to Metropolis and drove to Smallville to talk to you myself."

Chloe's eyes widened as she jerked to look at him in shock. "You went to  _Smallville_?"

"Yep, met your dad too." Sam smiled grinned at the memory. "Of course, you were gone by then, but it gave me time to talk to your father. He already knew who I was because of you apparently, and when I told him what'd happened he gave me his blessing and his phone. Said you wouldn't have blocked  _his_  number."

Chloe felt her mouth fall open. Who knew her father was that  _cunning_?

"So I call you, and the phone is answered by a  _guy_." A muscle in Sam's cheek jumped and he took in a deep breath. "Not only that, but he  _walks in while you're showering_  and I hear the most  _disturbing_  conversation between the two of you. You were flirting with him…in the  _shower_."

"Sam, there's nothing between me and Angel," Chloe whispered.

"I know that  _now_." He chuckled slightly. "But then? I thought you'd gone and rebounded on this guy. I wanted to  _kill_  him for touching you, I-." He closed his eyes and breathed in again, calming down, before continuing. "I called again a few hours later when I'd calmed down with Gabe's help and this guy answered  _again_. I got his address out of him and took the first flight out to L.A-your father actually helped me with the ticket because by then my money was running low."

Chloe couldn't believe it. Her father had always joked about her becoming a nun so he wouldn't have to be sent to prison for killing her boyfriends-and yet he'd gone out of his way to help Sam.

"So I get here, and it's early morning when I ring the doorbell and hide to see what would happen. To get a bearing of the situation." Sam paused. "And you come out half naked, wearing  _his_  shirt, laughing with him and talking about being exhausted and keeping up with  _demon stamina_."

Chloe's eyes widened as she realized how that could have been taken.

" _Yeah_." He interpreted her look and nodded. "I went out for a walk to cool down but by the time I'd come back you two had already left, so I waited for you to return, and when you did he had his arm around you. At the time I didn't realize it was because you were about to faint. All I knew was that I thought he'd taken you from me and I just wanted to  _kill_  him. So I hit him."

"And told him to stay away from  _your woman,_ " Chloe remembered, a small smile fighting its way onto her face valiantly.

Sam nodded, not noticing this. "I'm sorry."

"For what exactly?" Chloe asked, still fighting the smile.

"For everything. For being an insensitive jerk, for not thinking of your feelings-even for hitting your friend." Sam paused. "No, wait, he  _shouldn't_  have walked in on you in the bathroom. So I'm not sorry about that."

Chloe couldn't help it, she laughed.

Hope filled those green/blue eyes as Sam rummaged in his pocket. "I know it's tomorrow, but I think there's no better time than now for this." He pulled out a jewelry case and passed it to her. "Happy Birthday."

Chloe's eyes widened and she froze before finally reaching for the jewelry case and taking it into her hands, hesitantly opening it to reveal a beautiful white gold ring with a diamond heart.

"It's a promise ring." Sam spoke softly. "It was a bit expensive, and I had to take more odd jobs than I knew I could handle at once to afford it, but I worked myself to the bone for two weeks and got enough money to buy it for you."

"Oh my God," Chloe whispered as she gazed at it. "It's-it's  _beautiful_."

"You know, promise rings date back to the 16th century," Sam said in what was supposed to be a casual tone. "It was given to a romantic partner to signify a commitment to a monogamous relationship," he hesitated. "Often as a precursor to an engagement ring."

Chloe's wide eyes jerked up form the ring to his face. " _What-?"_

"Of course we aren't going into  _that_  topic right now," Sam hurried to continue. "But…but we always call what we have 'this  _thing_ ', and I thought-it was about time-that we  _defined_  it."

Chloe couldn't stop the tears that were forming in her eyes.

Sam cleared his throat nervously. "Will you be my girlfriend- _officially_?"

She giggled and nodded desperately before leaning forwards and throwing her arms around his neck. " _I love you_."

" _God,_ I love you too." Sam pulled her in tighter, pressing kisses to her hair, cheeks, nose, and then he looked deep in her eyes before closing his and pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that expressed his love and devotion.

Chloe closed her eyes and groaned into the kiss, leaning as much into him as physically possible, their tears making their kiss salty… the jewelry box with the promise ring forgotten on the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe groaned as she snuggled in closer to the warm body next to hers, smiling slightly when Sam mumbled something in his sleep and pulled her closer. Nothing had happened last night other than her and Sam stealing Angel's bed from him (once more) to sleep in, and while she'd been more than tempted last night to forget the whole "wait till you're eighteen" thing Sam had stuck annoyingly determined to it.

So they'd only slept.

Opening her eyes, Chloe smiled at the sight of a sleeping Sam. Leaning forwards she pressed a kiss to his nose and then somehow managed to get out from his arms and head towards the bathroom.

Clothes dropping to the ground, Chloe entered the shower and closed her eyes as the warm water washed over her, caressing her body. She felt a little odd, but figured that it must be the fact that she knew she was seventeen today, and thus only one year away from sitting down with Sam and having a  _serious_  talk.

 _A year is still a long time to wait_.

She tried to push that thought away. They'd made it through one year already, they'd make it through another.

They  _would_.

Stepping out of the shower Chloe grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her, going to the sink and grabbing one of Angel's combs as she wiped the mist from the mirror and was about to begin the arduous task of detangling when she froze.

Wiping at the fog from the mirror once more didn't change the image in front of her, and Chloe's eyes widened.

She'd heard that getting older changed you-but this was  _ridiculous_!

The blonde stepped forwards and gazed at herself in the mirror. The changes would be subtle to most but they were obvious to  _her_. Her features were a little sharper, her lips redder, her skin paler, her hair more golden…and her eyes, they were like turquoise gems that contrasted with her pale skin and the slightly golden sheen of her hair.

Dropping the comb Chloe's hands went to her face as she traced each feature with her fingers, eyes wide.

"What  _happened_  to me?"

Freezing, she suddenly looked down at her body and undid the towel, letting it drop to the floor as she cupped abundant breasts, spanned the expanse of her smaller waist, and traced it as it flared out towards her hips.

Taking in a deep breath, Chloe turned and stretched so she could get a glimpse of her behind, and then jerked back around to the front again.

"What the  _hell_  happened to me?"

* * *

 

"It has to be the Oracles," Wesley announced as everyone gathered in Angel Investigations later that morning, examining a slightly hysteric Chloe. "They  _did_  say that they were going to give you a gift, right?"

"So they made me runway Barbie?" Chloe made a face, adjusting her shirt in obvious discomfort. She'd  _always_ had an impressive amount of cleavage, especially for someone her age, but now it was even  _more_  impressive and her shirts had all been too tight on her.

"They didn't really  _change_  you," Lois contradicted, grinning broadly. "They just  _enhanced_  certain qualities." Her grin grew. "Cuz, you look  _so hot_."

"Thank you, Lois," Chloe deadpanned.

"Chloe, I've been meaning to ask you," Sam announced from where he was leaning against the wall. "Since when did you get a tattoo?"

"Huh?" The blonde turned to her boyfriend, confused. "I didn't—haven't-I don't  _have_  a tattoo."

"Well, you do  _now_." The brunette motioned to the small of her back. "I noticed it this morning when you freaked out in the bathroom and started screaming."

Chloe blushed, remembering that humiliating experience, with Sam rushing into the bathroom to see what'd happened to her and coming upon her completely naked.

"Tattoo?" Lois frowned as she got up and went to Chloe, grabbing the girl's shirt and lifting it up to a little below her breasts, revealing the intricate black symbol of a rising phoenix imprinted in the small of her cousin's back. "Hey! You've got a  _phoenix_  tat! How  _cool_!"

"I  _what_?" Chloe tried to see it but she couldn't twist her body enough. "That wasn't there yesterday!"

Everyone crowded around Chloe's back to get a look at the tattoo. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, not exactly comfortable with everyone examining her like this but knowing that it was necessary.

"That's not ink." Angel finally spoke. "It smells different. I'm not exactly sure  _what_  it is, but it's not a tattoo. It-it seems more like you were  _branded_."

"Branded?" Cordelia asked. "You mean like a  _cow_?" She blinked at the looks that got her. " _What_? It's a valid question!"

"Yeah, it  _is_." Chloe surprised everyone by agreeing, eyes narrowed and on Angel accusingly. "Are you telling me that I'm the Powers-That-Be's  _cow_?"

Angel looked terrified and not sure whether he wanted to answer that.

Sam smirked at his discomfort.

Wesley unknowingly came to the vampire's rescue as he spoke. "I  _wonder_." His hand reached out and traced the design on Chloe's back in a very scientific way before Lois slapped it, causing him to cry out and pull his hand away.

"You want to grope an innocent female? Grope  _me_ ,  _not_  my cousin." Lois growled at him.

Chloe rolled her eyes sky-high at the jealousy in her cousin's voice.

"I am  _not_  'groping' your cousin," Wesley scoffed, insulted. "That particular symbol seemed  _familiar_  to me and I-." He paused in mid argument and turned, stalking to the back room where they kept all of the books.

"Wesley?" Lois called, following after him. "Where are you going?"

"It's got to be here  _somewhere_." Wesley's voice could be heard mumbling from the other room. "AHUH!" Coming back out with a large text he nearly bumped into Lois but managed to dodge her at the last minute and continue on towards them, plopping the large book down on the table in front of them.

"Isn't that the old Sumerian text you got the day  _they_  arrived?" Cordelia asked, pointing her thumb to the three Smallville natives.

Wesley nodded, flipping through the old, worn out pages.

Sam was by his side in a minute, peering over his shoulder, eyes on the text, mumbling something softly under his breath.

Wesley paused and looked back at Sam. "You know  _ancient Sumerian_?"

Sam looked up from browsing the texts. "A lot of the exorcism rites or spells or things we use are in ancient languages, so dad made sure Dean and I learnt enough of them to read basically any old text that we would need."

" _Fascinating_." Wesley announced. "You'll have to show me some of these spells and rites you speak of."

"As long as I get to look through some of these texts you have here." Sam grinned.

Lois shook her head and turned to Chloe. "We got ourselves a pair of demon-hunting  _nerds_. How  _like_  us."

Chloe laughed.

Wesley and Sam made faces at Lois, who just ignored them, eyes going wide as Wesley turned the page. "That's the tattoo!"

Everyone's gaze jerked to where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was the symbol. It was faded in some places due to the age of the document, but it was obviously the very same symbol.

"What does it say?" Angel asked as Wesley began to read the text.

There was a moment before Sam and Wesley looked at each other, eyes wide.

" _What_?" Chloe growled, impatient.

"This-this says that it's the symbol of the  _phoenix_." Wesley whispered in reverence.

Everyone waited for him to continue.

He didn't.

Lois rolled her eyes and groaned in agitation. "Tell us something we  _don't_  know, Nimrod!"

"No, you don't get it." Sam was quick to come to a glaring Wesley's defense. "This isn't the symbol of  _a_ phoenix. It's the symbol of  _the_  phoenix."

"As in  _the_  phoenix?" Chloe was catching on. "The  _bird_?"

"So she's gone from being the Power's  _cow_  to being the Power's  _bird_?" Clark asked, confused and not helping the situation at all.

"This is—this is  _amazing,_ " Sam whispered as Wesley continued to glare at Lois. "Chloe, according to what I can understand from this text it says that the  _original_  phoenix wore this symbol engraved on her skin."

"Wait." Cordelia threw her hands up. "I thought the phoenix was a  _bird_."

"It was." Lois nodded. "I'm no mythology buff but I watched Harry Potter, and Fawkes was  _most definitely_  a bird."

Wesley winced and placed a hand over his face at Lois' reference.

"I saw that movie too!" Cordelia grinned. "My favorite part was when Harry's in the Chamber of Secrets with the basilisk-.

"-and Fawkes comes with Godric's sword!" Lois finished, just as excited. "That was the best scene of the first movie!"

"I  _know_!" Cordelia agreed full-heartedly, shaking her head. "Though the  _second_  best scene  _had_  to be-."

" _Enough_  with that  _rot_!" Wesley lost his patience with his colleague and his Lois. "We're getting  _horridly_  off the topic here!" He turned to Chloe. "Chloe, according to this text the phoenix was originally a  _female_  immortal, a pet of the Powers."

"A  _pet_." Chloe was not impressed. She was not impressed  _at all_.

"And if I'm reading this correctly-Sam tell me if you interpreted it any differently-," Wesley hurried to continue. "But the phoenix was stripped of her powers and immortality for a grave sin."

"She sided with the darkness." Sam nodded, agreeing with Wesley's translation. "The power of the phoenix was a great one, it could be dangerous if not controlled, and before it could be used for the darkness the Powers stripped those powers from her and the phoenix became a  _legend._ "

"Wait, I don't get it." Clark frowned. "If the phoenix was actually supposed to be a  _woman_ , then why is it portrayed as a bird? I mean, Medusa was portrayed as a female and others as well, why change the phoenix?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Angel admitted, leaning against the wall.

"That isn't explained here." Wesley was reluctant to admit, pushing his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "But the important thing is that we now have an idea of what that  _gift_  the Oracles gave you was." He paused, most probably or dramatic effect. "They made  _you_  the Phoenix."

"What exactly does that entail?" Lois wanted to know, giving her cousin a curious one-over. "I mean, I see she got the symbol and the  _enhancement_ -I think I remember reading once that the phoenix was supposed to be the most beautiful creature alive."

Clark looked surprised that Lois knew this much. "I thought you didn't  _read_."

She glared at him while Wesley gave her a look of horror. "I  _read_ , Smallville, I just can't read those  _huge_ volumes of Tolkien and Rowling that you do. I mean, you went through the  _whole_  Eragon trilogy in what? A weekend? That's  _insane_! AND a  _clear_  abuse of your superspeed!"

Clark blushed as he ducked his gaze, obviously a little embarrassed by his choice of literature being exposed this way.

"You don't _read_?" Wesley finally spoke, eyes on Lois, his voice pure  _horror_.

"I READ!" Lois snapped at him, looking a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. "I've read plenty of magazines and some romance books. I'll have you know that I even tried reading  _Twilight_  but it was so  _damn long_!" She folded her arms over her chest and blew at a strand of hair in her face. "I had to get Chloe to read it out loud to me before we went to sleep." A grin slipped on her face. "For the record, she  _sucks_  at doing guys' voices."

"This is the thanks I get for straining my voice night after night for her," Chloe lamented, though there was amusement in her enchanting orbs.

"Okay, you're  _all_  getting off topic again., Angel reminded, looking amused at them despite it all. "Can anyone come up with a good idea  _why_  the Powers that Be would make  _Chloe_  the one and only Phoenix?"

"I can't," Chloe responded, frown returning to her face, looking between Clark and Lois to see if either had any idea.

"It  _could_  be because of your codename." And yet Lois didn't seem so sure before pausing, reconsidering. "And I mean, your powers  _are_  already kinda similar to that of a phoenix. You have fire, and you can heal."

"It's not that." Clark shook his head, face dark and serious. "It's because you were going to give up your immortality in exchange for my powers to be returned."

" _What_?" Sam snarled, turning to Chloe. The blonde had conveniently forgotten to tell him that part of the story.

"It was all I had to barter with!" She snapped at him, glaring defiantly.

"That's the only thing that's been keeping you alive since you were  _ten_!" Sam snapped back, obviously not backing down from this fight.

Chloe shot an accusing glance in Lois' direction before turning it to Sam. "You've been talking to Lois behind my back, haven't you?"

"Wait, wait,  _wait_!" Wesley threw his hands up in the air. " _Immortality_?" He turned to Chloe. "I thought you  _healed_  when you died."

"Well, the Oracles told her she wasn't a mortal, that she was  _immortal,_ " Lois responded for her cousin. "And they were surprised when she offered to give it up voluntarily for Clark's full powers to be returned to him. They looked shocked and impressed."

"So they found what they'd been looking for," Angel announced, causing everyone to turn to look at him. "They found someone who they felt wouldn't abuse the powers of the phoenix,  _and_  you are now their champion- _not_ their  _pet_. You're fighting for their side, so they won't have to fear you turning to the darkness."

Cordelia blinked. "You can be pretty sharp when you're not brooding, you realize that, right?"

Angel sent a glare in her direction.

Wesley tried unsuccessfully to hide his smirk.

"Well, now that  _that_  is solved..." Lois announced, going towards Wesley and throwing her arms around him and grinning at everyone else. "Let's go have some fun! It's Chloe's birthday and I want to celebrate it in style!" She turned to Chloe and winked. "Better pray, lil' cuz, that with your immortality comes eternal youth, otherwise you'll be a very old, very wrinkly old woman!"

They spent most of the day going to different places through the sewer system for Angel's benefit, watching a couple of movies, eating at different places, taking pictures with the disposable cameras both Lois and Cordelia had bought, and when it was evening they went to  _Caritas_.

Sam had been shocked at the difference in the atmosphere in the demon bar. Like Chloe, Lois and Clark his only experiences with demons had been  _extremely_  negative at best, and here he was in bar filled with demons who were laughing, and having a good, innocent time cheering those singing.

And, of course, there was  _Lorne_.

The eccentric green demon had greeted everyone heartily and no one (other than Sam) had been surprised when Chloe had thrown her arms around him and they'd hugged. The two had bonded the night before, and while Sam looked uncomfortable and nervous he'd shook Lorne's hand (who'd called him 'Sammykins' and scolded him for putting his ' _apple dumpling'_  through so much pain) and even smiled at the green demon when he whispered to him that he'd  _known_  they'd get back together.

The group had a great time at Caritas, but it was soon to end as they had to get on their flights later that night. The Fang Gang drove the four visitors to airport and said their goodbies-Lois' and Wesley's lasting  _far_ longer than everyone else's since Lois had jumped Wesley, quite literally, and they ended up making out against a wall to the wide-eyed shock of all the people at the airport.

A couple of passengers whispered about the disgraceful show, but most just leered and muttered 'lucky guy'.

Sam's plane was leaving first. He had to go directly to Stanford because of some tests and while Chloe understood she wished that he'd been able to go with them to Smallville so she could officially introduce him to her father as her boyfriend.

She smiled at the title before frowning, hugging Sam tightly as his flight was called. "Take care, okay?"

Sam nodded, hugging her tightly as well, not wanting to leave. "You too. You don't know how this being a 'champion' is going to change things for you. Just—be careful."

"I'm immortal." Chloe tried to laugh that off, although the thought was uncomfortable for her. "How much trouble can I get myself into?"

Sam groaned, hiding his face in the curve of her neck. "You just  _had_  to go and jinx yourself, didn't you?"

They stayed like that until Sam's name was called on the speakerphone and they had to part.

"Love you., Sam mouthed before he boarded the plane.

"Love you," She mouthed back, hands on the glass between her and him, watching him until he disappeared into the plane. Chloe sighed and closed her eyes, leaning for forehead against the glass. "Long distance relationships  _suck_."

" _Tell_  me about it," Lois grumbled, appearing by her side, Clark on the other.

"Well, I don't know whether I should feel lucky or not that I'm technically single." Clark moved so that he was between the girls and threw his arms around them. "Let's go find somewhere to sit."

"You know, I'd  _forgotten_  how tedious airports were," Lois pouted. "I'd gotten used to using the Kent Express."

Clark sighed as he led them to some seats. "Ah, the  _good old days_."

Chloe smiled as she looked up at her cousin and best friend.

How much more trouble could they  _really_  get themselves into anyway?


	6. Chapter 6

Chloe had  _so_  jinxed herself.

She should have realized that life would change drastically after her visit to L.A., but she'd somehow naively believed that it would be the same as always. The blonde had been sure that they'd return to high school, fight the meteor freaks who were obsessed with Lana Lang, and the rare ghost and/or demon. She'd thought that maybe in the future after graduating from high school begin the true duty of champion.

She'd been kidding herself.

From the moment she'd returned to high school things had been different. Boys who'd never given her a second glance were suddenly asking her for permission to take her books for her, asking for her phone number, and dropping by the Torch during their free periods.

Even a  _teacher_  had made a pass at her.

Chloe had always kinda envied Lana's popularity with the male sex, but that'd been while she was  _single_.  _Now_ Chloe just found the attention from the boys and  _men_  of Smallville completely  _annoying_.

And the phoenix in her not only seemed to attract the opposite sex, but now meteor freaks everywhere had decided they needed a change from Lana Lang.

As stated before, Chloe had  _so_  jinxed herself.

Of course, that didn't even  _begin_  to describe the situation they'd found themselves in now. There'd been some unexplained murders/deaths in Smallville and after a  _lot_  of investigation and help from Sam and the L.A. gang Chloe, Lois and Clark had realized that they were dealing with something called a  _shape-shifter._

Having dealt with Tina Greer hadn't really prepared them for the difference in a  _supernatural_  shifter from a meteor freak shifter, and Chloe had had to admit that it'd had her fooled until 'Lois' had pushed her against the wall and begun to  _kiss_  her.

She'd managed to push the shape shifter off of her and demand to know where her cousin was, with the creature refusing to answer, saying something about not liking being in  _that_  body anyway, contemplating Clark's instead.

It'd escaped into the shadows of the alley outside and Chloe had called Clark, warned him about the shape shifter the same time he'd stumbled upon the creature's hideout in the sewers of Smallville and found Lois.

Thankfully Lois hadn't been killed yet, only knocked out and tied up.  Clark had been able to free her and bring the girl back to where Chloe was at the Kents', her father safely there as well. Now that they knew their parents were aware of their extracurricular activities they were more open with them, and their parents tried to help them any way they could.

That was when Lana sped up in her beat up truck, Whitney Fordman in the passenger seat, coming to a stop with a screech.

Clark's eyes widened when he saw them. "What are they doing here?"

Lana had gotten back with her quarterback boyfriend after what'd happened with Clark, and wouldn't even  _look_ in Clark's direction, so it was surprising to see them here.

Lois, who was now awake and suffering from a  _major_  headache, growled as she held a cold piece of steak to the large bump on her aching head. "They probably saw the shape shifter and Little Miss Muffet knew it'd be safer for them around  _us_."

Sure enough, Lana and Whitney hurried up to the Kents' door and knocked wildly, looking around them in fear. Martha opened the door and let them, both stumbling in fear.

"Are you guys okay?" Chloe asked, going towards them and extending her hands, helping them both up.

"There-there was something out there!" Lana cried as Martha quickly closed the door behind her and locked it.

Jonathan went to the window, looking through the thin curtains at the dark night around them, shotgun loaded and ready.

Gabe concentrated on Lois' bump as he pulled the steak from her forehead and examined it with concern.

"It attacked us!" Whitney was shaky as well, pale, but still remarkably calm compared to Lana, who was  _trembling_  in terror. "We thought it was  _Pete_ , but then-."

" _Pete_?" Clark whispered, eyes wide, horrified.

"Oh  _no_." Chloe threw open the door and hurried outside, looking around, terrified, Clark hurrying down to her side. "You need to go back-Pete might still be-."

Laughter came from the darkness to the side of the barn and suddenly Pete's body walked out into the moonlight.

" _Chloe,_ " Clark whispered.

"Go," She ordered, voice low. "I can handle this until you get back."

Clark hesitated, but this  _was_  their friend Pete they were talking about, so he finally nodded and ran towards his parent's truck.

Chloe took a couple of steps towards the shifter. "You picked the wrong people to impersonate. This is getting  _personal_."

The shifter wearing Pete's skin smirked and turned, running into the darkness.

Chloe, knowing that it was a trap, hurried after. As she ran she opened her palm and a ball of green fire appeared, lighting the darkness around her and giving her an advantage as she trailed after the shifter knowing that if she let him go he'd go after someone else, and if he did he might kill the next person-like he had so many others.

Seeing the shifter turn the corner of the barn Chloe did as well and cried out as he used the momentary blind spot to jump her, pinning her to the ground, the flame in her hand dying as her breath was knocked out of her lungs, leaving her in complete darkness.

"Get _off_." Kicking him off, Chloe sent up a ball of fire into the sky that lit the air enough for her to see and sidestep the shifter charging soundlessly at her.

"Is that  _all_  the legendary phoenix can do?" He sneered. "I'd expected… _more_."

Eyes narrowing, Chloe flung another fireball at him. The creature only managed to dodge it in the last second, the tree behind him exploding into violent flames, lighting up the night more.

The shifter looked behind him, a more impressed look on his face as he returned his gaze on her. " _Better_."

"Glad you think so." Chloe responded, not missing a beat.

And then the shifter charged, ducking and dodging the fireballs sent his way until he'd rammed his body into Chloe's sending them both tumbling to the ground. Chloe's back hit a rock hidden in the grass and she cried out, arching from the pain, giving the creature a second's advantage as it pinned her to the ground, hands around her neck, squeezing tightly and blocking off her air passage.

This was the  _worst time ever_  to die, and so Chloe fought back, kicking and scratching at the shifter's arm, finding in horror that with her lack of air she wasn't able to create fire. Fire  _did_  need oxygen to thrive.

Instead she tried to increase her body's heat, not failing to notice the slight wince on Pete's features.

And suddenly someone barreled into the shifter, causing the creature to let go of Chloe with a little squeak. Whitney Fordman stood and sent a kick to the shifter's face, repeating the motion over and over as Chloe coughed and forced herself to stand on shaky feet, amazed that  _Whitney_  of all people had saved her.

Shouldn't he be cowering in the Kent's home protecting Lana?

The shifter grabbed Whitney's foot and pulled it from out under him, causing the boy to fall, about to break it, when suddenly an inhuman screech escaped from Pete's mouth, and the creature let go of Whitney, eyes flashing yellow as it collapsed to its knees, revealing Lois behind it, and a silver letter opener sticking out from its back.

" _No one_  knocks me out and tries to kill my cousin!" Lois growled at it as she stomped down on the letter opener, pushing it further inside of the shifter, causing the creature's screech to grow louder, explosions happening behind its flaming eyes.

Whitney crawled back and hurried to his feet, eyes wide and horrified.

The creature tried reaching behind it, tried to reach for the letter opener, tried to get it out.

"Lois! Out of the way!" Chloe ordered, and when her cousin nodded and did as told the blonde closed her eyes, concentrating, drawing the power deep inside of her. Her eyes flew open and she sent out a burst of flames more powerful than she ever had towards the shifter, eyes widened when she saw the ball of fire transform into a fiery bird that screeched into the night before diving down onto the creature, engulfing the shifter in flames and melting the silver inside of it.

"I'M NOT THE LAST!" The shifter screamed at her. "I'M ONLY THE BEGINNING, PHOENIX! ONLY THE BEGINNING!" And with that the shifter exploded into a million pieces, covering the three young adults.

" _Ewww,_ " Lois whined after a moment's silence, wiping her face of guts and blood. "And I just washed my hair!"

"Why can't they  _all_  be like vampires and go up in dust?" Chloe asked herself, taking a chunk of liver out of her hair.

"What the  _hell_  just happened?" Whitney Fordman wanted to know, eyes narrowed and on them. "What  _was_ that?"

Lois and Chloe shared looks, not exactly sure they could pass this off as something meteor related.

"And why did it call you Phoenix?" Whitney asked. "And how could you do that?" He narrowed his blue eyes at them. "Start talking  _now_  ladies."

Lois took in a deep breath. "How knowledgeable are you with the supernatural?"

* * *

 

Collapsing on her bed, Chloe groaned, tired. Tonight had been  _tiring_. At least they'd found Pete alive (if not a little banged up and with no memory of  _how_  he'd ended up in the sewers), and she hadn't  _died_. The blonde hadn't died since becoming the Power's phoenix, and she wasn't exactly jumping with excitement to see how dying and rebirth would be now that she'd been  _changed_  and  _modified_.

Rolling onto her back Chloe looked at the ceiling, not exactly sure what to think about Whitney Fordman. He'd left Lana alone in the Kent home, had faced something he'd  _known_  wasn't human, had saved her life-and when he'd found out  _what_  it was he  _hadn't told Lana_.

Somehow they'd managed to convince the girl that it was Pete all along who had been under the influence of some meteor rocks, and given the history of Smallville and the fact that Pete couldn't remember  _anything_ the girl had believed her boyfriend immediately.

Chloe wasn't even sure  _why_  they'd kept the fact that it was shifter from Lana. The girl had been  _killed_  by a demon, she  _knew_  there were weirder things out there, and yet there they were protecting her again.

It was somewhat irritating.

Her phone began to ring and she groaned as she got up and went to where she'd put it before going to bathe to get rid of the shifter guts covering her. "Hello?"

"Hey." Sam sounded worried. "I got worried, you missed our session. How did things go with the shifter? Are you okay?"

Chloe yawned as she threw herself back on her bed. "Smallville is now shifter free." She curled around her pillow and told him all about it. "I kinda feel bad about letting Pete think he attacked Lana and Whitney under the control of the meteor rocks, but somehow I think he'd accept that better than him being kidnapped and nearly killed by a shape shifter. He's  _used_  to people doing stuff because of the meteors,  _not_  the supernatural."

"All that matters is that you're all okay." Sam sighed, sounding relieved now that he knew that they were safe and unharmed. "Wesley called me half an hour ago, worried about Lois. Apparently he'd tried calling her over and over again and the number went straight to voicemail so he wanted to know if I'd heard anything about her."

"Oh,  _that_." Chloe nodded. "When the shifter kidnapped her it smashed her phone. She was pissed when she found its remains in the sewers. That Samsung cost her a pretty penny."

Sam laughed. "Trust Lois to be more angry about a smashed phone than about being kidnapped and nearly killed."

Chloe giggled. "Yep, that's my cousin." They continued to talk until Chloe couldn't take it any longer, sleepy from her hectic day. "Being a champion sucks," she complained, eyes closed, voice thick from sleep. "No time for anything other than saving the world. It's  _really_  affecting my beauty sleep."

"I'm sorry you have to do all that." Sam sighed. "And you're only seventeen. You're too young to have all that on your shoulders."

"We did it for Clark." And she wasn't going to regret it. "Sam—I have to go. I'm tired."

"I understand. Sleep well."

"I will." She promised, yawning. "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispered before cutting off the phone.

Chloe let herself lose the battle with sleep and drift into unconsciousness, tired, sore, and completely oblivious to the fact that the shifter's words hadn't been an empty bluff.

It was only beginning.


End file.
